CD Reviews

Endlessly great

John | 06/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Nonsense to anyone who thinks Infernal Love is a good album but not great, or a great album except for "Diane," or any of these other stupid remarks that people seem to attach to this record all the time. Infernal Love is amazing. It's the best thing Therapy? have ever done, and it's not about listening to this track, and then to that track, and then maybe to the last track, and then back to the third track--it's about listening to the whole thing, all at once. You'll see that this is every bit the start-to-finish album that Dark Side of the Moon is, meant to reflect the many different turns relationships can take. And to say that "Diane" is not a key part of that, or that it shouldn't be on this album, is like saying you love the beach but can't stand sand. "Diane" is completely appropriate for Infernal Love. After this album, Fyfe left the band, and Therapy? have never been the same since. This record is one of the most expressful, complicated, but ultimately rewarding rock albums I have ever heard. Unfortunately, there's too many people who just don't get it.

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Powerful, Yet Occasionally Pointless

Read Taylor | 06/01/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I know Therapy? fans aren't supposed to always be looking for another album like Troublegum, but I should warn listeners new to Therapy? who were introduced to the band through that album that this one may not be what they are looking for. A few songs (Misery, for example) show the bands sense of humor that they can tie to their rage. In Infernal Love and Bowels of Love we hear the same rage that defined them before, yet this time a desire to show off the level of musical proficiency sadly dilutes the raw passion found in Nurse, Troublegum and Hats Off to the Insane. The album's one weakness, which is very noticable, is Diane. Originally a song by Husker Du dedicated to a friend of the band (from what I understand) who was the victim of the narrator in this disturbing piece, it makes the worst possible song to cover. Without knowing the victim, the song does not come through as an angry, confused young band's only way to make sense of an act of terror (as it did for Husker Du) and instead becomes a disturbingly sincere description of violence ending an album that, up to that point, had tempered its rage with humor."